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Being awesome adventurers is great. It's just the bee's knees. That being said, some adventurers coming from other settings often bring knowledge with them that doesn't match up with Golarion--or lack knowledge that any socialized Golarion native would know. Players new to Golarion are fine and welcome but, for dedicated roleplayers unfamiliar with Golarion, not knowing about the setting can put a damper on things.
For "common knowledge" examples: in Inner Sea Races, there are sidebars talking about cultural cornerstones and outside prejudices/generalizations. Those are suggested as "common" opinions. In Rise of the Runelords there's a sidebar "Ten Fun Facts About Goblins."
I am of the opinion that collecting such information (along with other generalized bits of info) into a softcover would be a huge benefit to players looking to get into the setting. It could also serve as a book chock-full of adventure/roleplaying lures, whether or not the "common knowledge" is true or only as real as Razmir's divinity.
Setting the base assumptions for the world, especially from the commoner's perspective, would not only add cohesiveness to the shared world experience, but it would also remind players who're used to being the creme de la creme of champions just how special they are. Example: "Even an adventurer of modest skill can make more money in a week than your village will in a decade or more. They treat gold worse than you treat copper, the ingrates."
Obviously, most tables play Golarion in their own way. I'd never want to squash that wonderful creativity. Finding a balance between "suggesting" and "deciding" on how Golarion works is something Paizo has always done very well, and I have no doubt they'd be able to do this with equal grace.
"But Alayern!" said no one, ever. "Why not just read the Inner Sea World Guide? It's the go-to setting book and has all that stuff you're talking about. The book you want has been done before."
"True." I respond to nobody. "But here's why the softcover would still be marketable:
- Softcovers are cheaper, reducing the Will Save DC against price barrier.
- It can be formatted akin to the Beginner Box Materials; focused on ease of reading. The ISWG is gorgeous, but it's so jam-packed it can seem dense to some readers.
- For players getting used to roleplaying, having some precooked ideas can be a good launching point. The ISWG has facts galore, but not much subjectivity, which roleplay is all about.
- For tried and true Golarion vets, it can give them an array of, or help them generate their own, in-world slang and aphorisms to accentuate their style.
- For players starting into PFS, it could reduce confusion at the table, making games run smoother.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Condemnations? Gibberish?
Common knowledge is DC 10 which anyone can roll. There is the Inner Sea Primer for basic lore of Golarion.
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Thank you for your reply Brother Fen!
Mechanically it wouldn't be that hard to figure stuff out, but that eats up valuable adventuring time. (Specifically, I'm thinking PFS, which is perpetually scarce on time.)
The inner Sea Primer, while a great start, isn't quite what I'm looking for. The Primer is meant as a tool for GM's to get their players familiar with the setting. What I'm looking for is something for the players themselves that discusses the assumptions most Golarionites live and breathe.
Instead of a top-down view, an on the ground semisubjective view. Closer to the tale of Tabris in the Chronicle of the Righteous, but covering various regions/populations. It would still need to be zoomed out, but personal anecdotes would go a long way to helping would-be roleplayers into the setting.
Alayern, I think this would be a great idea. I started an adventure path for players completely unfamiliar with Golarion, and it's hard to give them a sense of the world and what their characters would know.
That a good suggestion. Indeed, I would really like to know more about common knowledge. Would the common people say:
"Do you know about the rumors of demons coming out of the ground in the north?"
or
"Do you known about the Worldwound in the north, that was opened by the demon lord Deskari, one of Aroden's old opponents?"
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@Jhaeman: A similar situation my table is going through is what prompted this idea. I've spent years immersed in the setting, and my players are brand new to it. They've spent a lot of time in the Realms, and they're experienced players, but the road to Golarion is just a bit too bumpy at the start.
@The Gold Sovereign: Never mind trying to explain to a commoner what the difference between a Demon and a Daemon is. Come to think of it, it's been almost 111 years since Aroden's "death." Outside of Taldor/Cheliax, people might not even bother teaching about him anymore.